Israel Pharmacies Will Sell Cannabis with Medical Prescription

On 27 July, the Israeli Ministry of Health announced that medical marijuana will be available in pharmacies on prescription. The initiative is intended to benefit users who need cannabis to overcome certain ailments as well as to decongest collapsed clinics.

The Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Littman, explained that grass should be treated like many other products sold at the pharmacy, where even narcotics such as morphine are being sold. During the speech in which he announced the measure, Litzman also stated that the Ministry hopes to double the number of growers backed by the Israeli government, which it is currently eight.

The plant "will be prescribed and supervised according to the same standards as other drugs." In addition, the function of prescribing cannabis will be extended to more doctors, as a way to reduce the bureaucratic obstacles patients face.

For its part, the politician Tamar Zandberg, from the Meretz party has defined this act as "revolutionary" and considers it to be big news. She has thanked the Ministry for making the information public and concluded that "many people will welcome this change."

Shelly Yacimovich from the Israeli Labour Party, has also welcomed the idea and stated that it is "a 180 degree turn" in politics today. Yacimovich ensures that grass is a source of hope and healing for those for who conventional medicine has failed. She has even expressed her support for the legalization of cannabis for recreational use.

The medical marijuana program of Israel is successful in 90% of its patients. It is a benchmark in terms of cannabis medical research and an example for all those who begin to study how to regulate the herb for therapeutic purposes.